Dr. Dre Developing Biopic Of Marvin Gaye

Dr. Dre is working on a movie about the late singer Marvin Gaye, Variety has learned. The film is still in the early pre-production stages, but rights to Gaye's music have already been secured according to sources.

Marvin Gaye broke the Motown mould, recording political and social anthems like the environmental song "Mercy, Mercy Me" and the generation gap exploration "What's Going On", as well as erotic thrillers like "Can I Get a Witness", "Sexual Healing", and "Let's Get It On". However, Gaye's life was tragically cut short when he was shot and killed by his father, Marvin Gay Sr.

Dr Dre, founder of Beats Electronics and one of the four original members of the rap group NWA, served as a producer for the Oscar-nominated film Straight Outta Compton, which told NWA's origin story in southern California. The rights to Gaye's songwriting credits are owned by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. However, Dre's new film will be one of many attempts to capture and share the life of one of the most influential artists of the '60s and '70s.

Along with Gray, Jesse L. Martin, James Gandolfini, and Cameron Crowe have all tried to bring a film on Gaye to life. The most recent came in 2016 when Jamie Foxx signed on to produce a TV series. Dr. Dre's forthcoming project remains the only movie to ever be approved by the Gaye estate.